Bush advisor admits ‘much work’ needed in EU-US war on terror

Date: 07/11/02

By Martin Banks

THE international community still has 'much work to do' in the fight against global terrorism, according to a key figure in President Bush's US administration.

Speaking during a visit to Brussels, Tom Ridge, Bush's advisor on homeland security, acknowledged that improved exchange of information between the EU and the United States since the events of 11 September 2001 has enabled the authorities to 'better assess' the threat posed by terrorists.

But Ridge warned that 'zealots' had 'hijacked' the Islamic religion to further their cause and that there was much work to do before the war on terrorism is won.Ridge, governor of Pennsylvania, was speaking after talks on Monday (4 November) with Loyola de Palacio, vice-president of the European Commission, and her fellow commissioners, António Vitorino (justice and home affairs) and Frits Bolkestein (internal market).

As part of the ongoing US response to the terror attacks on New York and Washington, Ridge, who also met senior NATO officials, announced new regulations requiring shipping companies to provide advance information on US-bound cargo loaded outside America.

Carriers will be required to present data 24 hours before the cargo lands at ports.

The move is aimed at preventing container shipping from being abused for terrorist purposes.

Ridge admitted that important differences still exist between the US and the EU on how best to combat terror in the skies. His comments were a reference to the failure of EU and US officials to solve their differences over the level of data on airline passengers that can be made available to the security services.

Ridge tried to persuade the EU to increase the amount of such data, however the Commission is wary of encroaching on civil liberties.

Ridge said that while the US would continue to press for a stronger 'Advanced Passenger Information System', he understood EU concerns that it may breach data privacy rules.

'There is still some work to be done on this,' he said.

The international community still has 'much work to do' in the fight against global terrorism, according to Tom Ridge, President Bush's advisor on homeland security.